Simulating RAM for Video Card Memory

Is there anyway that I can simulate my computer's RAM for Video Card Memory? I have 256MB RAM and only a 16MB video card. I'd like to be able to simulate some of my RAM for video card memory. Any suggestions?

Juggernaut,
On most systems, you can shadow your system BIOS ROM. Shadowing increases performance by copying the video BIOS code from video adapter's ROM to much faster system RAM. Enabling this setting will allow the system to cache this RAM as well, further increasing performance

rbrescia, what else besides show ram would it be called?

YARDofSTUF I'm sorry I didn't follow your question.

Originally posted by rbrescia:
YARDofSTUF I'm sorry I didn't follow your question.

I think he is having probs finding the option in the mobo's BIOS.

When this feature is enabled, the Video BIOS is copied to the system RAM for quicker access. Shadowing improves the BIOS' performance because the BIOS can now be read by the CPU through the 64-bit DRAM bus as opposed to the 8-bit XT bus. This seems quite attractive since that's at least a 100x increase in transfer rate and the only price is the loss of some system RAM which is used to mirror the ROM contents.

However, modern operating systems bypass the BIOS completely and access the graphics card's hardware directly. So, no BIOS calls are made and no benefit from BIOS shadowing is realised. In light of this, there's no use in wasting RAM just to shadow the Video BIOS when it's not used at all.

From this site,

Originally posted by glc1:
I think he is having probs finding the option in the mobo's BIOS.

YES! Cant find shadowing anywhere on my 566, but its on the 233? grrrrrrrrr...

Originally posted by YARDofSTUF:

YES! Cant find shadowing anywhere on my 566, but its on the 233? grrrrrrrrr...

You don't need to enable this setting. See RoundEye's quote above.

No the option isnt in my bios!

Thanx for the replies, any more ideas? I imagine there has to be some sort of program out there that can simulate some RAM for Video Card memory.

SO there isn't anything I can do to bump my 16MB card up to a, let's say, 32MB card by simulating my available RAM for my video card?

[baby0522]

ya ...i have same problem here oso ...i which to know it too

[mmione]

Originally Posted by baby0522

ya ...i have same problem here oso ...i which to know it too

whats with the really old page bumps..

[SpareX]

Really.. REALLY Old bump.. amazed this isn't in the archives lock already..
BUT

to answer your question.. if you are looking to increase the ram of your video card from say... 32Mb to 64Mb.. you need to buy a new Video card, there is no was to do it otherwise, no ammount of shadowing or emulation will take a very old card and make it a powerhouse..